Forsworn
The Knights of Haradel have a fearsome reputation throughout Faelon. Their prowess, virtue, and adherence to knightly principles make them a potent force on any battlefield.
But what happens when a Knight falls from grace?
In Haradel, there are two ways that a Kir - Knight - can lose their status: They can have it taken from them or they can denounce it.
Those who have it taken from them are called Expelled. In most cases, they have had their status stripped from them by a Tribunal of their peers and overseen by the Knight Commander of their Order. A Tribunal is usually called for some offense against Haradel, the people they serve, or against their Lord.
Another way for a Knight to become Expelled is for a Knight of Higher rank to take it from them on the field of battle for acts of disgrace or cowardice. This happens very seldom, as there can be political repercussions if a Tribunal is not called and a group of peers does not make the decision.
A Knight can become an Expelled for many reasons, but in almost all cases, the Expelled leave Haradel or are executed. To become Expelled is to be a disgrace to Haradel, their Knightly Order, and their family.
Many Expelled go on to become sellswords in a variety of circumstances, though most Freebands will not have them unless the Expelled lies about their past. There are certainly many Freebands and Patrons that would be happy to have an Expelled no matter what their past, or in some cases because of it.
A Forsworn is another story entirely. They voluntarily give up their Knighthood. A Forsworn renounces the Knight’s Oath that they took upon being given the honor.
Forsworn renounce their oath for many reasons, some noble and some not so noble. A Forsworn’s motivation will hold some clue as to how they intend to proceed with their life and what path they will take after becoming Forsworn.
In noble families, Forsworn may renounce their status because some tragedy has struck their parents and they take up revenge, an idea that is not supported by the tenants of the Kir. This can happen because of political treachery or some slight to family honor by a rival Thael.
Some Knights renounce their oaths because they believe that the virtues therein constrain them and keep them from doing what is necessary or what they think is right. These individuals believe the end justifies the means. They are often shunned by other Knights before becoming Forsworn for their methods, and eventually renounce their Oath.
A Forsworn has very few opportunities inside of Haradel. They are shunned and ostracized at every turn. Who would give up the rank of Knight? What kind of person would you have to be?
Depending on their motivation for becoming Forsworn, they might have friends in Haradel who will take them in. In many circumstances, however, no one will go near a Forsworn or an Expelled, leaving them little choice but to start over somewhere new or turn to the underbelly of society.
Tanda Uvok is one such Forsworn.
Tanda is the daughter of Thael Talis and Lorek Uvok. Their ancestral lands lay to the Southeast of the Soramekras - The Songvale Forest. This ground isn’t particularly good for growing, but the people there eke a living from what they can grow and herd goats and sheep. It is known for its poverty, even among the peasants of Haradel.
Thael Talis and her family had ruled here for generations. They had never been wealthy or powerful but had discharged their duties and served both the people of the land and their Count in Vasilar faithfully.
Their daughter, Tanda, was granted the rank of knight at the age of 23. She went on several quests and built a name for herself and Ailea, whom the family had served for generations.
Her sojourning was cut short by a drought throughout Southern Haradel in 1004 that threatened their people with starvation. Tanda came back to help her family but found that in her absence they had aged considerably and were having a hard time managing their holdings.
With her people starving and her parents losing hope, Tanda sent for help to the neighboring Thaels, but none was forthcoming. They shared her problems and had their own people to feed. The Count of Vasilar was also contacted, as was the Warden of Erladan, but none could seem to spare any food or thought for The Uvok Fiefdom.
In early 1005, after a horrific winter saw many of their people starve to death, the peasants revolted, burning Burstaf - Stoneperch - the family’s Ekal Dal - Manor Home. Thael Talis and Lorek fled to a neighboring fiefdom where they had family connections.
The neighboring fief to the north, stewarded by Thael Brilia Tadeyn, took the opportunity to capitalize on an ancient grudge between the two houses. This grudge was rumored to date back to the Scourging of the Dunrian, but the details of the events that spurred it had been lost to time. By 1005 it was an old and tired grudge usually played out in dirty looks and sharp words. No one in the Uvok family believed that it would be prosecuted by the sword.
Thael Tadeyn swept in with a military force and put down the peasant revolt, slaughtering the peasants and quickly occupying what remained of Thael Uvok’s holdings. The Uvoks were powerless to stop Thael Tadeyn from declaring herself lord over the lands in the absence of the Uvoks. She then called a Tribunal against Thael Uvok for abdicating her lands and abandoning her people.
The Tribunal failed to strip the Uvoks of their rank but chastised them for their actions and upheld Thael Tadeyn’s hold on their ancestral lands. Tanda was left furious and without a home.
Even worse, the stress of the Tribunal ultimately killed her father Lorek.
Tanda appealed the decision and the injustice that had been visited upon her family. No one listened.
Without a choice and seething with the injustice of all that had befallen her family, Tanda left her mother in the care of Thael Virsan Arda, their only ally through the whole ordeal and the only person to offer shelter to her parents when they fled.
She bid goodbye to her mother, and then visited a small shrine to her father and begged his forgiveness for what she was about to do. She privately renounced her Knight’s Oath to Virsan so that whatever happened next, he would know the full story. She ensured that her family’s tale was commemorated in the annals of Thael Arda, and then left her old life behind.
She knew that the only way to get revenge on Thael Tadeyn was to raise a force and march on her Ekal Dal - Manor House. Without the money to do that, however, she held her nose and did the only thing she could think of: she turned to banditry.
Working from the northern slopes of the Bar Nol, Tanda raided convoys in both Haradel and Thormenal, throwing everything she stole into a coffer for her eventual revenge. She became very successful, causing increased security to ride with convoys moving on both sides of the Bar Nol.
Amongst the locals, she became known as The Warhorse because of her reliance on her old knightly sword and shield, and of course, her beloved Warhorse, Korevranai - Ravenmane. Her notoriety grew considerably, and the local Thaels offered a hefty reward of five gold coins for her capture or death. As Tanda’s success continued, even the Warden of Erladan offered a bonus of five gold to whoever stopped her thieving.
Tanda was shocked when she came home to her hideout one night to find a strange woman with an eyepatch sitting on Tanda’s only stool. She immediately drew her sword and assumed a Lion Guard position. She knew exactly who this was.
The Black Rose didn’t even flinch when Tanda drew her sword. She merely smirked and remarked snidely about how what she had been hearing was true. The Black Rose admitted that when her operative took the Warrant to end Tanda’s life from the Warden of Erladan, she thought they might actually go through with it. Competition couldn’t be allowed, after all. But after some thought, she explained, it was probably better to recruit her than to kill her, so here she was.
Tanda took the Black Rose’s meaning completely. It was truly join or die, and Tanda bet the share of profits in such a reputable gang was probably better than the measly sums she was netting in what amounted to little more than Urdaggar raiding.
Tanda made the only logical decision and decided to join the Black Rose. Now, Korevranai and Tanda offer highly maneuverable and armored support to the Black Rose and her shadowy group of bandit gangs.
Tanda still saves every penny she makes with The Black Rose. She may not be able to restore her name, but someday she will be able to take revenge on Thael Tadeyn and clear Tanda’s ancestral lands of the taint of her betrayal.
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